There aren’t enough adjectives to tell the entire story of what Robert Mathis meant to the Colts defense last season.

Mathis 19.5 sacks and eight forced fumbles speak for themselves in leading the NFL but it was the timeliness of those plays that truly tell the story.

In the Colts seven games against playoff teams, Mathis had 8.5 sacks and six forced fumbles.

Opposite Mathis, free agent edition Erik Walden was very durable for the Colts defense in tying a career-high with 3.0 sacks.

Bjoern Werner backed up Walden and the rookie saw most of his action on passing downs.

After fighting through a foot injury early in the season, Werner came on late in 2013 and Ryan Grigson was pleased with the progress he saw from his 2013 first-round pick.

Grigson wants to see Werner put some weight on this offseason in order to become an elite edge setter in the NFL.

On any other team, inside linebacker Jerrell Freeman would have attracted the same attention that Mathis received in 2013.

Freeman’s growth from the Canadian Football League to the centerpiece of the Colts 3-4 defense is truly remarkable.

He once again led the Colts in tackles last season but he took his game to the next level in forcing turnovers.

In 2013, Freeman had 4.5 sacks (fourth most among ILBs) and his seven forced turnovers topped all linebackers.

The spot next to Freeman though was a bit of a revolving door.

Pat Angerer and Kelvin Sheppard occupied that spot most frequently with the latter taking over once Angerer was placed on injured reserve prior to Week 15.

One key area of development to watch this offseason is the progress of rookie Josh McNary.

In 2013, McNary played in less than 10 percent of the defensive snaps but filled a large role on passing downs during the final month of the season.

Grigson has spoken very highly of McNary as the Army product has gone from one of college’s premier pass rushers to the inside of an NFL 3-4 defense.

If the playmaking ability of the linebacker position continues to shine in 2014, then expect the Colts defense to become a more formidable unit next season.

STAT TO NOTE: Colts records that Mathis set in 2013 includes the franchise mark for career sacks (111.0), games with a sack (85), multi-sack games (27), single-season sacks (19.5) and single-season multi-sack games (7).

Stay up-to-date on everything Colts! Sign-up for the Colts E-newsletter

Recent Videos

Four-year veteran Cheerleader Julia Pohlman sits down with Steve Andress to discuss her journey as a Colts Cheerleader to auditioning for the first time in 2011, to a Pro Bowl Cheerleader and team captain.